Calamity Town

against a defendant. Carter Bradford and Chief Dakin have built a giant, and it will take a miracle to topple it over.”

“And I,” said Judge Eli dryly, “am no Goliath.”

“Oh, I’m prepared all right,” said Nora with a bitter laugh. She twisted about violently in her chair and dropped her face on her arms.

“Sudden movements!” said Hermy in an alarmed voice. ”Nora, you’ve got to be careful!” Nora nodded without raising her head.

And silence entered, to fill the room to bursting.

“Look here,” said Ellery at last. He was a black man against the flames. ”Miss Roberts, I want to know something.”

The newspaperwoman said slowly: “Yes, Mr. Smith?”

“You’ve lost your column because you chose to buck public opinion and fight for Jim Haight.”

“This is still a free country, thank God,” said Roberta lightly. But she was sitting very still.

“Why have you taken such a remarkable interest in this case?even to the point of sacrificing your job?”

“I happen to believe Jim Haight is innocent.”

“In the face of all the evidence against him?”

She smiled. ”I’m a woman. I’m psychic. That’s two reasons.”

“No,” said Ellery.

Roberta got to her feet. ”I’m not sure I like that,” she said clearly. ”What are you trying to say?”

The others were frowning. There was a something in the room that crackled more loudly than the burning logs.

“It’s too beautiful,” mocked Mr. Queen. ”Too, too beautiful. Hard-boiled newspaperwoman renounces livelihood to defend total stranger who?all the facts and all the world agree?is guilty as Cain. There’s an excuse for Nora?she’s in love with the man. There’s an excuse for the Wrights?they want their son-in-law cleared for the sake of their daughter and grandchild. But what’s yours?”

“I’ve told you!”

“I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t. What am I supposed to do?care?”

“Miss Roberts,” said Ellery in a hard voice, “what are you concealing?”

“I refuse to submit to this third degree.”

“Sorry! But it’s plain you do know something. You’ve known something from the time you came to Wrightsville. What you know has forced you to come to Jim’s defense. What is it?”

The newspaperwoman gathered her gloves and silver-fox coat and bag. ”There are times, Mr. Smith,” she said, “when I dislike you very much . . . No, please, Mrs. Wright. Don’t bother.” She went out with a quick step.

Mr. Queen stared at the space she had just vacated. ”I thought,” he said apologetically, “I might be able to irritate it out of her.”

“I think,” said Judge Martin reflectively, “I’ll have a heart-to-heart talk with that female.”

Ellery shrugged. ”Lola.”

“Me?” said Lola, surprised. ”What did I do, teacher?”

“You’ve concealed something, too.”

Lola stared. Then she laughed and lit a cigarette. ”You are in a Scotland Yard mood tonight, aren’t you?”

“Don’t you think the time has come,” smiled Mr. Queen, “to tell Judge Martin about your visit to the back door of Nora’s house just before midnight New Year’s Eve?”

“Lola!” gasped Hermy. ”You were there?”

“Oh, it’s nothing at all, Mother,” said Lola impatiently. ”It hasn’t a thing to do with the case. Of course, Judge, I’ll tell you. But as long as we’re being constructive, how about the eminent Mr. Smith getting to work?”

“At what?” asked the eminent Mr. Smith.

“My dear Smarty-Pants, you know a lot more than you’ve let on!”

“Lola,” said Nora, in despair. ”Oh, all this wrangling?”

“Don’t you think,” cried Pat, “that if there were something Ellery could do, he’d do it?”

“I dunno,” said Lola critically, squinting at the culprit through her cigarette smoke. ”He’s a tough ‘un to figure.”

“Just a minute,” said Judge Martin. ”Smith, if you know anything at all, I want to put you on the stand!”

“If I thought going on the stand for you would help, Judge,” protested Ellery, “I’d do it. But it won’t. On the contrary, it would hurt?a lot.”

“Hurt Jim’s case?”

“It would just about cement his conviction.”

John F. spoke for the first time. ”You mean you know Jim is guilty, young man?”

“I didn’t say that,” growled Ellery. ”But my testimony would make things look so black against him?it would establish so clearly that no one but Jim could have poisoned that cocktail?that you wouldn’t be able to shake it with the Supreme Court to help you. I mustn’t take the stand”

“Mr. Smith.”

Chief Dakin, alone . . .

“Sorry to bust in this way, folks,” said the police chief gruffly, “but this was one subpoena I had to serve myself.”

“Subpoena? On me?” asked Ellery.

“Yes, sir. Mr. Smith, you’re summoned to appear in court Monday morning to testify for the People in the case of People Against James Haight.”

PART FIVE

Chapter 23

Lola and the Check

“I got one, too,” murmured Lola to Ellery Queen in the courtroom Monday morning.

“Got one what?”

“A summons to testify today for the beloved People.”

“Strange,” muttered Mr. Queen.

“The pup’s got something up his sleeve,” said Judge Martin. ”And what’s J.C. doing in court?”

“Who?” Ellery looked about.

“J. C. Pettigrew, the real-estate man. There’s Bradford whispering to him. J.C. can’t know anything about this case.”

Lola said in a strangled voice: “Oh, nuts,” and they stared at her. She was very pale.

“What’s the matter, Lola?” asked Pat.

“Nothing. I’m sure it can’t possibly?”

“Here’s Newbold,” said Judge Martin, hastily standing up. ”Remember, Lola, just answer Carter’s questions. Don’t volunteer information. Maybe,” he whispered grimly as the bailiff shouted to the courtroom to rise, “maybe I’ve got a trick or two myself on cross-examination!”

* * *

J. C. Pettigrew sat down in the witness chair shaking and swabbing his face with a blue polka-dot handkerchief, such as the farmers around Wrightsville use.

Yes, his name is J. C. Pettigrew, he is in the real-estate business in Wrightsville, he’s been a friend of the Wrights for many years?his daughter Carmel is Patricia Wright’s best friend.